Tom Butler

Top 10 songs from the Smiths.

This week, I've chosen to take on the Smiths. These are my ten favorite Smiths songs, in order. Agree? Disagree? Let me know!!!!

10. The Death Of A Disco Dancer

-Coming up with a list of only ten Smiths songs will be difficult. This is an album cut from their final studio album, Strangeways Here We Come. A dark tune with some heavy Johnny Marr guitar bits.

9. William, It Was Really Nothing

-One of the first Smiths songs I that really stuck with me. Ultimately, the Smiths were a pop group and this is one of the catchiest tunes they did.

8. Sheila Take A Bow

-Morrissey can be really funny when he wants to be “Boot the grime of this world in the crotch dear!”

7. That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore

-One of the most heartbreaking Smiths songs that I can come up with. The last song on the a-side of Meat Is Murder is one sad affair. “I’ve seen this happen in other people’s lives, now it’s happening in mine.”

6. The Boy With A Thorn In His Side

-Johnny Marr’s guitars make this one. There’s something about the guitar sound on The Queen Is Dead album that I love. They just sound more sparkly.

5. You’ve Got Everything Now

“I’ve seen you smile, but I’ve never really heard you laugh.” I always loved this early Smiths song.

4. This Charming Man

-a total classic. “Will nature make a man of me yet?”

3. Unhappy Birthday

-Another caustic Moz lyric. My favorite track from Strangeways, Here We Come. I always listen to this tune on my birthday. If I play it for you on your birthday, it means I really love you.

2. The Headmaster Ritual

-My favorite Smiths song. Hands down. I really hated grade school and this song always helped me feel less lonely.

1. The Queen Is Dead

-While “The Headmaster Ritual” is my favorite Smiths song, I feel like “the Queen Is Dead” is the ultimate Smiths song. All the essential elements are here, Johnny Marr’s psychedelic guitar washes, a particularly biting Morrissey lyric, and one of the best rhythm sections in history.